vii, 195 pages ; 24 cm

Is Hinduism a missionary religion? Merely posing this question is a novel and provocative act. Popular and scholarly perception, both ancient and modern, puts Hinduism in the non-missionary category. In this intriguing book, Arvind Sharma reopens the question. Examining the historical evidence from the major Hindu eras, the Vedic, classical, medieval, and modern periods, Sharma's investigation challenges the categories used in current scholarly discourse and finds them inadequate, emphasizing the need to distinguish between a missionary religion and a proselytizing one. A distinction rarely made, it is nevertheless an illuminating and fruitful one that resonates with insights from the comparative study of religion. Ultimately concluding that Hinduism is a missionary religion, but not a proselytizing one, Sharma's work provides us with insights both about Hinduism and about religion in general. --Book Jacket

Includes bibliographical references and indexes

The antiquity and continuity of the belief that Hinduism is not a missionary religion -- The neo-Hindu conviction that Hinduism is a non-missionary religion -- Hinduism as a missionary religion: the evidence from vedic India -- Hinduism as a missionary religion: the evidence from classical India -- Hinduism as a missionary religion: the evidence from medieval India -- Hinduism as a missionary religion: the evidence from modern India

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